Harry Maguire has revealed he was relieved of his role as Manchester United captain following negotiations with Erik Ten Hag.
Maguire inherited the armband at United after Ashley Young left for Inter in January 2020, just six months after becoming the world’s most expensive defender when he left Leicester City for Old Trafford. The 30-year-old was a mainstay in the Reds’ defense until Ten Hag was appointed as manager of the team last year. Raphael Varane and Lisandro Martinez have moved ahead of Maguire in the squad hierarchy in 2023-24, raising huge questions over his captaincy and long-term future at the club. Ten Hag has now informed Maguire that he will be changing captains ahead of the new season, which has left the defender “extremely disappointed”.
The England international confirmed the news in a social media post, which reads:
“After speaking with the manager today, he informed me that he was changing captain. He explained his reasons to me and even though I am personally very disappointed, I will continue to give my best every time I wear the jersey.promised the defender.
“So I wanted to say a big thank you to the Manchester United supporters for all the support they gave me while I wore the armband. From the day I took office three and a half years ago, it has been a huge privilege to lead Manchester United and it is one of the proudest moments of my career. It is one of the highest honors in club football. I did everything in my power to help Manchester United succeed, on and off the pitch. I will always be grateful to Ole Gunnar Solskjaer for giving me this responsibility for the first time and I wish the best of luck to whoever takes over, who will have my full support. Harry »added Maguire.
